Ransomware negotiator pleads guilty to helping ransomware gang

Angelo Martino, a former ransomware negotiator, has pleaded guilty to helping cybercriminals extort companies in cyberattacks. 

On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department announced the guilty plea. Martino, who used to work for cybersecurity firm DigitalMint, admitted to playing both sides of the negotiation in five different incidents. While ostensibly working for the victims, Martino admitted to feeding confidential information back to the operators of the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware, providing them information such as the victim’s insurance policy limits, as well as their negotiation strategies.